To Sum It Up
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed this in your own business, but things move WAY faster online than in traditional brick & mortar business models.
And so we can find ourselves quickly outgrowing the topics we used to enjoy teaching, or even the people we’ve attracted to our email list.
So was it all just a big waste of time and money?!?
Not if you’re smart about your next move!
When you outgrow your email list, whether that’s from changing your pricing or changing your direction, the first step is to make a decision that you’ll continue to serve both audiences (the old and the new) – or that you want to make a clean break entirely!
Then, you just have to follow the directions in the video to implement on that decision.
If You’re Continuing To Serve Both Audiences…
There’s really only one major step you have to take if you’re going to continue to serve the old audience, as well as build a new one, and that is to start segmenting your list. Like, yesterday!
Use your existing opt in and email funnel to keep engaging and growing your leads for the old audience.
But then create a new opt in and a new funnel for leads who could be interested in your new direction or program.
This will ensure that you can use targeted messages when selling each of your courses/services, and not send the wrong message to either list.
If You’re Eliminating the Outgrown Email List…
Then there are a few more steps to take, but it’s still as simple as 1,2,3!
First, you need to close down the product or program you no longer want to offer, and give everyone on your list who’s heard about it from other launches a final change to purchase.
And I’ve got a complete walkthrough on how to do that here.
Second, you need to email your existing list and find out who might be on board to continue the journey with you, and who wants off the (email) train.
This could be as simple as sending an email, or doing a Facebook live, to announce the new direction, your new mission, and ask people to ‘raise their hands’ or click a specific email link to tell you they’re in.
For the rest who don’t respond, just download them from your email service provider and then delete!
And finally, you need to start investing in list building for the new audience. Find people who are interested in what you’re going to be teaching/selling next, rather than trying to convince old leads to come along.
If you want a step-by-step roadmap for how to get these new email subscribers, I highly recommend Jenny Shih’s program, Get Your First 1000 Subscribers.
If 1000 new leads seems like a lot, think about it terms of launch numbers… At a 1% sales conversion, that’s only 10 sales of your new program! So you’re going to need more, but that’s a super awesome starting point. 🙂
And you’ll be well on your way to gracefully transitioning from an outgrown email list, to a email list full of hot, new prospects.
Your Turn
Have you ever had this “outgrowing” experience with your business or email subscribers? What did you do to turn it around? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
I love these tips, Jessica! I’ve often thought about what to do when I feel like this time comes for me… and letting my current audience know what’s going on, offering them one more chance to buy from me — and finding out who wants to keep following me and/or possibly hire me one day is so key. I would rather have a small list of really engaged and interested readers/potential buyers, instead of a long list of random people who don’t even open my emails.